1 Leave of Absence 2017.11.28 SENATE Tuesday, November 28, 2017 The Senate met at 1.30 p.m. PRAYERS [MADAM PRESIDENT in the Chair] LEAVE OF ABSENCE Madam President: Hon. Senators, I have granted leave of absence to Sen. Wade Mark and Sen. David Small, both of whom are out of the country. SENATORS’ APPOINTMENT Madam President: Hon. Senators, I have received the following correspondence from His Excellency the President, Anthony Thomas Aquinas Carmona O.R.T.T., S.C.: “THE CONSTITUTION OF THE REPUBLIC OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO By His Excellency ANTHONY THOMAS AQUINAS CARMONA, O.R.T.T., S.C., President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and Commander- in-Chief of the Armed Forces. /s/ Anthony Thomas Aquinas Carmona O.R.T.T. S.C. President. TO: MS. RAQUEL GHANY WHEREAS Senator Wade Mark is incapable of performing his duties as a Senator by reason of his absence from Trinidad and Tobago: NOW, THEREFORE, I, ANTHONY THOMAS AQUINAS CARMONA, President as aforesaid, in exercise of the power vested in me UNREVISED 2 Senator’s Appointment 2017.11.28 by section 44(1)(a) and section 44(4)(b) of the Constitution of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, do hereby appoint you, RAQUEL GHANY, to be temporarily a member of the Senate with effect from 28th November, 2017 and continuing during the absence from Trinidad and Tobago of the said Senator Wade Mark. Given under my Hand and the Seal of the President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago at the Office of the President, St. Ann’s, this 28th day of November, 2017.” “THE CONSTITUTION OF THE REPUBLIC OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO By His Excellency ANTHONY THOMAS AQUINAS CARMONA, O.R.T.T., S.C., President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and Commander- in-Chief of the Armed Forces. /s/ Anthony Thomas Aquinas Carmona O.R.T.T. S.C. President. TO: MR. ALBERT WILLIAM SYDNEY WHEREAS Senator David Small is incapable of performing his duties as a Senator by reason of his absence from Trinidad and Tobago: NOW, THEREFORE, I, ANTHONY THOMAS AQUINAS CARMONA, President as aforesaid, in exercise of the power vested in me by section 44(1)(a) and section 44(4)(c) of the Constitution of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, do hereby appoint you, ALBERT UNREVISED 3 Senator’s Appointment 2017.11.28 WILLIAM SYDNEY, to be temporarily a member of the Senate with effect from 28th November, 2017 and continuing during the absence from Trinidad and Tobago of the said Senator David Small. Given under my Hand and the Seal of the President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago at the Office of the President, St. Ann’s, this 28th day of November, 2017.” OATH OF ALLEGIANCE Senators Raquel Ghany and Albert William Sydney took and subscribed the Oath of Allegiance as required by law. ARRANGEMENT OF BUSINESS Madam President: Hon. Senators, I am awaiting two further instruments from the Office of the President, so with your leave we will come back to this item on the Order Paper a little later in the proceedings. VISITORS PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA DELEGATION Madam President Hon. Senators, I wish to acknowledge the presence of His Excellency, Ma Peihua, Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference of the People’s Republic of China and his delegation. [Desk thumping] We welcome you to our twin-island Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. Hon. Senators, I also wish to recognize His Excellency Song Yumin, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. [Desk thumping] MOTOR VEHICLES AND ROAD TRAFFIC (AMDT.) UNREVISED 4 Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic (AMDT.) 2017.11.28 (No. 2) Bill, 2017 (cont’d) Hon. F. Al-Rawi (cont’d) (NO. 2) BILL, 2017 Bill to amend the Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic Act, Chap. 48:50 brought from the House of Representatives [The Attorney General]; read the first time. Motion made: That the next stage be taken at a later stage of the proceedings. [Hon. F. Al-Rawi] Question put and agreed to. PAPERS LAID 1. Ministerial Response of the Ministry of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs to the Third Report of the Public Administration and Appropriations Committee, Second Session (2016/2017), Eleventh Parliament, on an Examination of the System of Inventory Control with the Public Service. [The Minister of Foreign and Caricom Affairs (Sen. The Hon. Dennis Moses)] 2. Ministerial Response of the Ministry of National Security to the Third Report of the Joint Select Committee on National Security, Second Session (2016/2017), Eleventh Parliament on an inquiry into the Operations of the Trinidad and Tobago Forensic Science Centre and the Issue of DNA Sampling in Trinidad and Tobago. [Sen. The Hon. D. Moses] 3. Ministerial Response of the Ministry of National Security to the Fourth Report of the Joint Select Committee on National Security, Second Session (2016/2017), Eleventh Parliament on an inquiry into Prison Security and the Status of the Investigation into the Port-of-Spain Prison Break of July 24, 2015. [Sen. The Hon. D. Moses] UNREVISED 5 Papers Laid 2017.11.28 4. Annual Report on the Operations of the Interception of Communications Act, Chap. 15:08 for the period January 2012 to December 2012. [Sen. The Hon. D. Moses] 5. Response of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service to the Third Report of the Public Administration and Appropriations Committee, Second Session (2016/2017), Eleventh Parliament, on Examination of the System of Inventory Control within the Public Service. [Sen. The Hon. D. Moses] 6. Ministerial Response of the Ministry of Rural Development and Local Government to the Third Report of the Public Administration and Appropriations Committee, Second Session (2016/2017), Eleventh Parliament, on an Examination of the System of Inventory Control with the Public Service. [The Minister of Rural Development and Local Government (Sen. The Hon. Kazim Hosein)] 7. Annual Administrative Report and Audited Financial Statement of Palo Seco Agricultural Enterprises Limited (PSAEL) for the years 2012/2013. [Sen. The Hon. K. Hosein] 8. Annual Administrative Report and Audited Financial Statement of Palo Seco Agricultural Enterprises Limited (PSAEL) for the year 2013/2014. [Sen. The Hon. K. Hosein] 9. Annual Administrative Report of the Point Fortin Borough Corporation for the fiscal year 2012/2013. [Sen. The Hon. K. Hosein] 10. Annual Administrative Report of the Point Fortin Borough Corporation for the fiscal year 2013/2014. [Sen. The Hon. K. Hosein] 11. Ministerial Response of the Ministry of Rural Development and Local Government to the Fourth Report of the Public Administration and Appropriations Committee, Second Session, (2016/2017), Eleventh UNREVISED 6 Papers Laid 2017.11.28 Parliament on Examination of the System of Internal Audit within the Public Service. [Sen. The Hon. K. Hosein] 12. Ministerial Response of the Ministry of Trade and Industry to the Third Report of the Public Administration and Appropriations Committee, Second Session (2016/2017), Eleventh Parliament, on Examination of the System of Inventory Control with the Public Service. [The Minister of Trade and Industry (Sen. The Hon. Paula Gopee-Scoon)] 13. Annual Administrative Report of the National Flour Mills Limited (NFM) for the year ended December 31, 2016. [Sen. The Hon. P. Gopee-Scoon] 14. Annual Administrative Report of the Betting Levy Board for the year ended July 01, 2014 to June 30, 2015. [Sen. The Hon. P. Gopee-Scoon] 15. Annual Administrative Report of the Betting Levy Board for the years ended July 01, 2015 to June 30, 2016. [Sen. The Hon. P. Gopee-Scoon] 16. Annual Administrative Report of the Evolving TecKnologies and Enterprise Development Company Limited (e TecK) for the year ended September 30, 2016. [Sen. The Hon. P. Gopee-Scoon] 17. Ministerial Response of the Ministry of Works and Transport to the Third Report of the Public Administration and Appropriations Committee, Second Session (2016/2017), Eleventh Parliament, on an Examination of the System of Inventory Control within the Public Service. [The Minister of Works and Transport (Sen. The Hon. Rohan Sinanan)] 18. Ministerial Response of the Ministry of Works and Transport to the Fourth Report of the Public Administration and Appropriations Committee, Second Session, (2016/2017) Eleventh Parliament on Examination of the System of Internal Audit within the Public Service. [Sen. The Hon. R. Sinanan] UNREVISED 7 Papers Laid 2017.11.28 19. Response of the Public Service Appeal Board to the Third Report of the Public Administration and Appropriations Committee, Second Session (2016/2017), Eleventh Parliament, on Examination of the System of Inventory Control within the Public Service. [The Vice-President (Sen. Nigel De Freitas)] 20. Response to the Auditor General’s Department to the Third Report of the Public Administration and Appropriations Committee, Second Session (2016/2017), Eleventh Parliament, on Examination of the System of Inventory Control within the Public Service. [Sen. N. De Freitas] 21. Response to the Integrity Commission to the Third Report of the Public Administration and Appropriations Committee, Second Session (2016/2017), Eleventh Parliament, on Examination of the System of Inventory Control within the Public Service. [Sen. N. De Freitas] 22. Annual Report of the Teaching Service Commission for the fiscal year 2013. [Sen. N. De Freitas] 23. Annual Administrative Report of the Statutory Authorities Service Commission for the year ended September 2016. [Sen. N. De Freitas] 24. Eighth Report of the Judicial and Legal Service Commission for the years 2008 to 2016. [Sen. N. De Freitas] 25. Response of the Office of the President to the Second Report of the Public Administration and Appropriations Committee, Second Session (2016/2017), Eleventh Parliament, on an Examination of the Current Expenditure and Internal Controls.